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(No'ModeL) A. UDELL. W POSTAL CABINET.

No. 431,679. Patented July 8, 1890.

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No. 431,679. Patented July 8, 1890.

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LUBE LL] POSTAL CABINET.

No. 431,679. Pate nted July 8,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA UDELL, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

POSTAL CABIN ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,679, dated July 8, 1890. Application filed November 20, 1889. Serial No. 331,046. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVA UDELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Toronto, Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful-postal device for the reception and safe keeping of letters, papers, and other articles, where only the owner or the person to whom the same are addressed can have access thereto, of which postal device the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a postal cabinet having lock-boxes and lockdrawers, which shall be more convenient and afford more facilities for public business than the rigid Walls and partitions holding the post-office boxes in common use.

Heretofore in post-offices the lock-boxes have been retired into the walls or partitions of the post-office building, which wall or partition is accessible by the public only from one side, thereby occupying a great amount of space in proportion to the desired number of boxes and obstructing the free passage of light so necessary in a post-ofllce building. To obtain more light and additional box room the walls and'partitions of the build.- ings or compartments heretofore commonly used for post-office purposes have been arranged in nearly all possible forms of construction, but resulting in little or no advantage over the straight and common wall. To

obviate these difficulties in a simple and effective manner I have devised a postal cabinet having lock-boxes or lock-drawers in a revolving wall, and designed to be used in all public and private. buildings and on streetthoroughfares for the reception and safe deposit of letters, papers, and other mail or express matter in the course of distribution.

I have also devised certain new and novel improvements useful in my postal cabinet, whereby it may be used to safely keep and display small articles of merchandise, and also as a postal device commanding public attention and use to afford facilities as a building, block, or street directory for circulating business-cards and to display and facilitate distribution of railway, steamship, and other advertisements. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which of my postal device or cabinet.

D encircle the pivotal axis B.

Figure 1 represents an exterior elevation Fig. 2 is a vertical section representing a pivotal floorstand embodied in my invention. Fig. 3 isa top plan. Fig. 4 is a vertical section.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A indicates a metallic flange or stool, from the center of which vertically extends upward the pivotal axis B, upon which, if desired, the postal cabinet may or may not be made to revolve while standing upon a counter, table, bench, wall, post, block, suspended swing, swinging crane, or other holding device '65 adopted by the person employing my invention.

Y indicates a metallic floor-stand or spider having casters w, and provided with the pivotal axis B, upon which the postal cabinet may be adjusted when desired to be conveniently moved about a room.

The metallic flange O and cylindrical box The metallic flange C and cylindrical boxD are constructed 5 rigidly together, both being cast of metal in the same mold.

E indicates the main floor of thepostal cabinet, and F represents the extension-floor of the cabinet. The extension-floor isrigidly attached to the lower surface of the main floor by means of screws, bolts, orglue, as best meets the choice of the constructer. Through the center of the main floor is adjusted the cylindrical box D, which extends upward above the main floor to a point in height equal to about two-thirds the height of the cabinet above the metallic flange A. The lower surface of the main floor is by screws or bolts rigidly attached to the upper 0 surface of he metallic flange C. The upper end of the cylindrical box D is completely closed and rests upon the pivotal axis-point a, and upon which point the body of the cabinet rests its weight While revolving upon its perpendicular axis, thereby obviating frictional bearings upon the flange A, where the cylindrical box D would rest upon the same. To avoid unnecessary friction between the contiguous surfaces of the cylindrical box D and the pivotal axis B, the diameter of the inside surface of the cylindrical box is en-- .To avoid unnecessary weight of metal, the

pivotal axis 1- and its cabinet floor-stand Y are constructed hollow throughout almost their entire length and dimensions, as indi cated by c and w in Fig. 2.

G indicates a series of lock-boxes or lock-' drawers, each divided into two compartments H and I by an intervening floor J. The front or outside walls (2 of said lock-boxes are constructed principally of metallic doors and frames, and the rear inside walls 8 are made of wood and glass similar in thickness and quality to that usually used in the construction of post-office pigeonholes. The partition walls also the main intermediate floor K and intervening floors j, of the lockboxes are constructed of wood similar in quality and thickness to that usually used for such purpose in the construction of postoffice lock-boxes.

Each lock-box is designed to keep safely small articles of n1erchandisesuch as cigars, cigarettes, &c.and for the safe deposit of letters, cards, papers, and other mail or express matter in the course of distribution.

The mail and express matter is deposited in each lock-box by passing it through a dropplate opening g in door L. Each drop-plate opening 'g is large enough to admit the larger packages, such as papers and other similar articles. Therefore it must of necessity be large enough to admit the fingers of a small hand. The front end of each intervening floor j is displaced by a small metallic bar h, having a slot or openingt' therein long enough and large enough to admit letters, but too small to admit the fingers of the hand. The

opening or slot 71 in the metallic bar h is constructed on a direct inclined plane with the drop-plate opening and through both letters can be easily passed into the lower compartment I by raising the drop-plate 3', either with the letter or by a separate hand, thus placing the letter beyond the possible reach of any person inclined to theft. Papers or similar articles which cannot be passed through the opening or slot 2' are deposited in the compartment H. ()n opening the door G ample access is afforded to both compartments of the lock-b0x. The lower compartment I of each lock-box is large enough to hold a cigarbox of the size in usual use, thus enabling a person to have his private box of cigars and mailmatter safely kept awaiting his convenience.

The main front walls of my postal cabinet are constructed of a circular series of vertical frames attached rigidly to the front end of the partitions and floors of the lock-boxes by means of lugs and screws or rivets. To each frame so adjusted in front of a lock-box is, by hinges 70, attached a lock-box door L. Each intervening frame N, adjusted in front of the triangular-shaped boxes M, extends vertically and forms a frame fronting three of the boxes therein.

M. The frame is so constructed that in front of each box M it forms a card-holder O, which may be of any desired pattern or construction adopted by the person employing my invention. In each card-holder a number of cards of the same size and weight are placed facing outwardly, and on the faced side are printed advertisements, photographs, or other desired characters, the front card of which exposes the same to view for an indefinite period of time.

Each lock-box door L is provided with a drop-plate a drop-plate opening g, a lock 13, and transparent panel q.

Between the lower series of the outside wall frames N and the extension-floor F are adj usted the rear ends of the show-case frames 4, rigidly attached by means of lugs and screws or rivets to the extension-floor F, also to the partitionwalls f, which are continued downward for that purpose. Each show-case frame 7' is constructed of metal, preferably of brass, and is rigidly attached to the lower front surface of the extension-floor F by means of screws or rivets passing through the lugs s.

The upper and front surfaces of the showcases T are constructed of transparent glass adjusted and secured to the show-case frames by means of putty or any other device therefor chosen by the constructor. Within each show-case T may be adjusted a cigar-tray U or other display mechanism, which, with contents, can be removed or displaced at pleasure by opening lock-box door L, raising dropdoor W, and passing the tray or similar device backward through the rear end of the showcase frame r, and thence upward and outward through the passage-ways thus opened.

Cigar-trays or similar devices and contents placed in the show-cases T fronting the cardholders 0 .can be removed or displaced at pleasure by passing them sidewise within the show-case frames 1' to a position fronting a lock-box door, and thence backward, upward, and outward through the passageways above described. A price-mark or other card or advertisement may be placed within each show case, occupying the space (represented by t) provided therefor, and be removed or displaced at pleasure by the method above'explained. The show-cases Tthus constructed andarranged afford an excellent method of 1 exhibiting j ewelry, cigars, medicines, valuable preferably mirror,with advertisements ground Behind the crown-molding frames and against the rear surfaces thereof, inclined forward forsuch purposes, may be placed steamship or railway folders or other advertisements, having their front surfaces exposed to View above the crown-molding, and within easy reach of an adult person. Such folders or advertisements are held securely in a normal position by means of pockets, stop-wires, or other devices arranged therefor, as best meets the choice of the person employing my invention.

WVhile I have shown my invention constructed in part of metal, Wood, and glass, I do not limit myself to the dimensions or material named in the construction of any part thereof.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A rotary postal cabinet havinglock-boxes or lock-drawers in its revolving Wall for the reception and safe deposit of articles of merchandise, or letters, papers, or other mail or express matter in the course of distribution.

2. In a postal-cabinet having lock-boxes or lock-drawers, the card-holders used for the purpose of displaying, distributing, or circulating cards or advertisements, substantially as set forth.

8. In a postal cabinet having lock-boxes or lock-drawers, the show-cases used for the purpose of displaying or exhibiting merchandise, substantially as set forth.

4. In a postal cabinet having lock-boxes or lock-drawers, the floor-stand Y, with pivotal axis B, constructed and adjusted substantially as set forth.

5. In the construction of a postal cabinet having lock-boxes or lock-drawers, doors L, frames N, boxes G, compartments H and I, crown-molding u, show-cases T, tray U, dropdoor W, drop-plate j, metallic bar h, intervening floors J, intermediate floors K, and cardholders O, constructed upon flange C, and ad-' 3' usted around cylindrical box D, substantially as set forth.

ALVA UDELL.

Witnesses:

GEo. T. SMALLWOOD, J AS. K. MCCATHRAN. 

